Spring heel for footwear



Nov. 30, 1948.

H. H. SMITH 2,454,951

SPRING HEEL FOR FOOTWEAR Filed July 21, 1947 Z, ///z//l/////f////x INVENTOR.

HERBERT H. SMITH Y (//mnnfLl-gm ,D zo' Patented Nov. 30, 1948 OFFICE sPRmG HEEL Fon FOOTWEAR Herbert n. smithknay shore, N. Y. v Application .ruly 21, 1er?, serial No. 762,381

l This invention relates to spring heels for footwear, whereby high eflicacy is obtained in regard to the prevention and/or absorption of foot'shock to the individual while walking, standing or working.

The present invention provides variations in and improvements to the spring heel forming the subject matter of my prior U. S. Patent No. 2,441.039.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple arrangement for the connection of a spring within a rubber heel, wherein mere exures of the heel permit assembly of all parts to conne the spring within the heel preparatory to and during attachment of the heel to a shoe.

It is another object of the present invention to provide -a spring heel the parts of which are capable of assembly as just stated, and also of disassembly by a similar procedure, so that the spring arrangement can be easily removed from' the heel and a spring arrangement of a different tension and size can replace the original spring,

whereby the heel can be adapted to the use of persons of different weights and manners of walking.

According to the present invention, a combination is provided which, retaining certain of the features of my prior patent aforesaid, modles others of such features in important particulars.

'Ihus here, as in said prior patent, a recess is formed in the heel for receiving the spring arrangement, the bottom of this recess being at the bottom of the heel; and such heel bottom protrudes to some extent below the side edges of the heel. Also here, as in said copending application, the spring arrangement comprises two plates and a spring disposed therebetween and is housed in said recess. But, `according to the present invention, the shaping of the protruded heel portion is changed, to obtain a better springbehavior as a result of a freerrresilient action of the rubber heel body.

Also here, as in said prior patent, the spring arrangement is held in the recess by means provided upon or adjacent to the heel recess wall so as to retain the spring arrangement in temporary engagement with the heel; but, whereas in my said prior patent, a. turnable part is partially turned incidental to employment of said means for placing the spring arrangement in temporary engagement'with the heel, here such a rotative movement of a turnable part is not necessary.

Instead, mere heel exures are utilized for rendering the spring retaining means effective.

Also here, as in said copending application, a

.5 claims. (orso-35) 2 conical coil spring is the working part of the spring arrangement; but here the placement of the coils of the spring of maximum and minimum diameter are reversed as compared with their placement in said copending application, thereby obtaining improved spring action in regard to the minimization of shocks and jars through the rubber heel to the heel of the person wearing a shoe equipped with the new spring heel.

For further comprehension of the invention,

and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. v1 is a top plan view of one form of heel pursuant to the present invention.

'Fig. 2 is a, transverse vertical section, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 isa longitudinal vertical section, taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the heel attached to the bottom of a shoe by means of the usual brads or nails and washers.

Fig. 5 is a, bottom plan view of the heel.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing a modication of the'present invention.

Fig. 'l is a transverse sectional view taken on the line I-l of Fig. 6.

The spring heel, according to the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5, includes a rubber heel body Il) having a recess II therein adapted to receive a spring arrangement I2. This rubber heel is made of rubber which has some resiliency but has less 'resiliency than the spring arrangement I2. The bottom of the recess is formed from heel material I3 and this material protrudes downwardly from the side edges of the heel whereby to provide for a play of the material on the bottom of the heel so that the person may rest his Weight upon the spring arrangement I2.

It is pointed out that such bottom protrusion and below the lettera frusto conical side wall, at the lower reduced end of which last-mentioned side wall is the circular bottom of the recess.

The spring arrangement I2 includes a conical coil spring I5 and two circular plates or discs I8 and I1.

The plate'or disc I5 ,is circular and shaped to include a hollow upstanding annular rib I2 concentric with the disc and spaced somewhat inwardly from the rim of the disc. Within this rib, therefore, is provided a shallow cylindrical seat open at its top for receiving the lower end of the spring I5.

The plate or disc I1 is circular and shaped to include a downwardly facing shallow cylindrical seat established byan annular vertical wall I9 concentric with the disc, beyond which wall is an annular rim portion 20. This seat is for receiving the upper end of the spring I5.

It will be noted that the spring receiving seat in the disc I1 is of greater diameter than that of the spring receiving seat in the disc I 8: with the diameter of the former seat conforming to that of the, larger en d of the spring I5 and the diameter of -the latter seat conforming to vthat of the smaller end of the spring. Hence the vspring body flares upwardly in the heel III, with the result that the functioning of the spring, in transmitting shocks and jars-received at the bottom of the heel, is a force dissipating one. 'Ihe spring transmitsa shock or jar divergingly upward for distribution thereof over the bottom area of the heel of the wearer, with a consequent reduction in intensity. y

Through the body of the heel III surrounding the recess II are a plurality of apertures 2|. here shown as eight in number, through which apertures are sent the nails 22 for attaching the heel to a shoe, so as to bury the nail heads, together` with the washers 23, in the rubber body of the heel.

Such heel attachment is done while the spring arrangement I2 is held in the recess II.

The means for thus retaining the spring arrangement I2 comprises a series of projections 24 carrying terminal lips inwardly directed to slightly overlap at their flat bottoms the top of recess II. The upper portions of these lips are downwardly beveled at 25. Interveningly of the projections 2-4 are cut outs, countersunk portions or recesses 26. Thus the heel is lightenedV in vweight and made more freely flexible,v yet masses of rubber material, constituted by the projections 24, are present at the points where the nails or brads 22 are to be driven through the heel and at which points the washers 23 are embedded through which the nails or brads 22 are to be extended. At the same time, the lips underlying the bevels 25 and carried by the projections 24 are rather thin and of a cross section tapering toward the interior of the recess I I. f

In order to dispose the spring arrangement I2 for dependable retention in the recess II, it is merely necessary, with the top of said recess uppermost, to place the Alower disc I6, the spring I5 and the upper disc I'I in said recess, and then dex the'heel I0 to some convexity at its upper side, one or more times, along a line diametral to the recess II or along several such lines, thus to readily catch the rim portion 20 of the upper disc I'I under all the six beveled lips at the inner ends of the projections 24. It is; also possible to force the disc II into place without flexing the heel Il, especiallyv by machine assembly. When the heel iscast in a mold. the bevel of the lips will be smooth enough to allow this.

To remove a springl arrangement I2 and substitute another, all that need be done is. to perform one or more iiexings of the heel as just described.

According to the modification of Figs. 6 and 7,

the heel body, here marked I0', has a bottom protrusion I2' like that at I 3. As will be noted, the springarrangement I2 is shown exactly as above described. Here, however, the side wall of the spring receiving recess has an overhanging continuous circular lip 21 having a beveled top 28.

Between the apertures 2l for the attaching nails or brads, and between the periphery of the heel and the outer limits of the lip 21, recesses 29 may be provided as shown, for lightening the weight of the heel and to increase the exibility of the heel I0 while in use. thereby also saving rubber and yet preserving rubber masses -at the points of application of the attaching nails or brads.

The recesses 29, it will be observed, are shown as of about half the depth of the recesses 26.

The heel of the present invention, like that of my prior patent aforesaid, may be sold as a unit, for ready attachment to leather members 30 on the bottom of a shoe 3l, as by means of the brads 22 and washers 23.

The discs and the spring of the spring arrangement may be covered with soft pliable material such as cotton, felt or woclen fabric, or plastic. The spring may be made of any size and the wirecan be either of round or flat sections.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise Vconstructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as de` lined in the appended claims.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

l. A spring heel arrangement comprising a heel formed of resilient material, a recess within the heel having its bottom closed to provide at the bottom of the recess a body of resilient material adapted to be compressed inwardly within the recess as the shoe is worn andl weight placed upon the shoe heel, a spring arrangement disposed within the recess and adapted to be compressed as the shoe is worn, means for securing the heel to a shoe bottom, said spring arrangement comprising two plates and a coil spring extended between the two plates, the plate in the open end of the recess being connected to the side wall of the recess whereby to temporarily retain the spring arrangement within the resilient heel material at least until the heel has'been secured to the shoe, said plate adapted to engage with heel material portions, said portions overhangingthe top of the recess and being spaced around the recess, said plate being a circular disc of uninterrupted circularity around its periphery, there being minor recesses in the top of the heel beyond the spring receiving recess, said minor recesses spaced around the last-named recess in alternation with said over-hanging heel material portions.

2. A spring heel comprising a resilient heel and formed with a recess which opens through the top wall of the heel body, a pair of superimposed plates within said recess, resilient means disposed between said plates and normally urging them apart, means on the adjacent faces of said plates holding said resilient means centrally in position therebetween, and spaced projections formed with the walls of the heel body defining said recess and having flexible lips overlying the exposed face of the topmost plate of said pair of plates releasably retaining said topmost plate in position within said recess against the action of said resilient means.

3. A springheel, comprising a heel body formed oi resilient material for attachment to the heel area, of a shoe and formed with a circular recess in the center portion thereof and which opens through the top wall of the heel body, vertically spaced metallic plates within said recess, a coil spring mounted between said metallic plates, and means integrally formed with the walls of said heel body deining said recess and overlying the top face of the topmost of said plates to retain the topmost plate within the recess against the action of said coil spring, whereby exing said heel body will disengage said means from the top face of said topmost plate and free said plates and said coil spring to be removed from said recess, said means comprises a, plurality of projections integrally formed with `said heel body and extended radially of said recess, and lips at the inner ends of said projections overlying the said top face of said top plate.

4. A spring heel, comprising a heel body formed of resilient material for attachment to the heel area of a shoe and formed with a circular recess in the center portion thereof and which opens through the top wall of the heel body, vertically spaced metallic plates within said recess, a coil formed of resilient material for attachment to the heel area of a shoe and formed with a circular recess in the center portionv thereof and which opens through the top wall of the heel body, vertically spaced metallic plates within said rel cess, a coil spring mounted between said metallic plates, and means integrally formed with the -walls of said heel body defining said recess and overlying the to-p face of the topmost of said plates to retain the topmost plate within the recess against the action of said coil spring, whereby exingsaid heel body will disengage said means from the top face of said topmost plate and free said plates and said coil spring to be removed from said recess, said means comprises a plurality of projections integrally formed with said heel body and extended radially of said recess, and lips at the inner ends of said projections overlying the said top face oi said top plate, said projections radially outwards of said lips being formed with openings for the passage of nails for securing the heel body to the shoe.

HERBERT H, SMITH.

ille of this patent:

spring mounted between said metallic plates, and

means integrally formed with the walls o1' said heel body dening said recess and overlying the 4 top face of the topmost of said plates to retain the topmost plate within the recess against the action of said coil spring, whereby ilexing said heel body will disengage said means from the top 5 22995009 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 683,054 Lederer Sept. 24, 1901 1,510,841 Hanley Oct. 7, 1924 1,870,065 Nusser Aug. 2, 1932 Denk Oct. 13. 1942 

